Water
by Lady Mythology
Summary: "I don't mind gym, but we're doing the swim section." I felt the sting of humiliation as hot tears ran down my face.
1. Chapter 1

"You need my help."

I shrugged. Ashamed, embarrassed, guilty. Scared.

"Why not ask my brother, your _boy_friend?"

I blushed and looked away, not that I was ever looking at him in the first place. "Never mind."

He scoffed. When I looked over again, he was gone.

- x -

"Why did you skip the last half of the day?"

I looked up at Stefan, but caught Damon's sharp glance over his shoulder.

Caroline was helping me with biology, and Bonnie and Tyler were going over Spanish.

- x -

The next day, I was helping Tyler with math.

We always got together at the boarding house.

I wasn't exactly dating Stefan, like Damon had implied, not since Caroline turned; I gave her all my attention. But the boarding house was big enough for all of us. Ric and Jenna were still on their way, and Jeremy was to my left. Tyler's parents were happy because Tyler was getting help. The sheriff felt safe because Damon could 'handle' a vampire. Bonnie's dad liked that it was more than just her, Caroline, and I, so she couldn't practice her 'magics'. Even Matt would join us on his off days. I liked having everyone together.

"Seriously." I finally glanced up. "Earth to Elena. I have your attention, now?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you cut the last half of the day, again?"

My eyes were drawn to Damon, like they always were, lately. He was glaring at me.

- x -

Wednesday, Ric pulled me outside, away from ears.

I don't know why he didn't have this conversation inside. Damon, Stefan, and Caroline would be able to hear us perfectly, anyway.

"Elena."

"Just don't, Ric."

"I have to. Come on, Elena. Why are you skipping the last part of school? Biology?"

It wasn't biology.

I felt the sting of humiliation as hot tears ran down my face.

"Elena."

"I can't."

I'm _scared_. But how could I tell anyone?

Finally, he let me inside. I didn't look at him, but I felt the heat of Damon's eyes on my back.

- x -

Thursday, the principal called me into his office.

"Are you going to skip out on your last three classes, Elena?"

"I'll still go to math," I conceded.

And, the stupid part was, I knew _everybody_ would understand if I just told them.

But I couldn't. How _could_ I?

- x -

Friday, everyone was at The Grill. Everyone except me.

I had missed three math classes, five biology classes.

And five gym classes.

"What's your problem?" Damon was sitting on my windowsill; he was curious, not accusatory. "How can I help?"

I focused my eyes back on the frayed edges of my rug.

"Hey." Suddenly, he was next to me, nudging my shoulder.

"You know Stefan saved me, when my parents died." I took a deep breath. "From drowning." He didn't say anything. "And it's stupid, but I can't. You know." I found my nails suddenly very interesting. "I don't mind gym. But, we're, uh. Doing the swim section. And – I can't."

"Come on."

After the silence, I jumped. "What?"

"Come on."

"It's nighttime, Damon."

"Come _on_."

I got up and followed him, accepting defeat. We get into his pretty blue car, and he drove.

He drove down to the river, where the current wasn't much of anything. The moon was bright, and there were a few street lights lining the road. He stopped at a rock, and took his socks and shoes off, and motioned for me to do the same.

I was terrified.

He had chosen the other end – the other half of Mystic Falls – the part of the river where my parents hadn't died – where I had almost died.

"Shh."

I found myself sitting, and Damon was carefully taking my socks and shoes off, too. He led me down to the water, tugging me.

I was able to wade, just fine. His pants got soaked, and my legs weren't happy that I was only wearing shorts. But when the water got to my knees, I tried to make for shore.

"Hey." He kept a firm grasp on my hand, and tugged me closer – not farther out, but closer. "I won't let anything happen to you."

I nodded, but couldn't make eye contact.

That's why I called him in the first place.

Damon wouldn't make fun of me. He wouldn't make me feel bad. He made me feel safe. And, I knew, above anything else, that he would _never _let anything happen to me.

Soon, the water reached the bottom of my shorts. I could only imagine how uncomfortable he was in pants. I tried to pull away again, but he wouldn't let me go.

I wiped the tears from my eyes, furious at myself for crying.

Ashamed.

"Hey."

The water barely seemed to ripple, but then my back was to his chest and he just held me, arm securely across my waist, still holding my hand.

We stayed like that, silent, for a _long _time.

- x -

Saturday night, we did the same thing.

When the water reached my knees, I tried to go back, but he stopped me. He started to walk backwards, let me walk at my own pace. His face was entirely neutral. No smirk, no smile, no teasing.

But he was slowly walking backwards, deeper and deeper, and I finally had to break eye contact.

The water reached almost to the top of my shorts, and I couldn't stop the tears.

"No, hey, it's okay."

He hugged me, again. That's what it was. A hug. An embrace.

I hadn't felt this safe in a long time.

- x -

He knew his limits, Sunday.

We stood, standing, my back to his chest, the water just above the top of my shorts.


	2. Chapter 2

After math on Monday, Caroline blocked my exit.

She convinced me to change into my swim suit, and only do what I was comfortable with.

"Hey. Shh. I'm here." I looked at Caroline, and she gave me a hug. In my ear, she whispered, "Look in the shadows, under the bleachers."

It took me a while, but I spotted the pale glint of skin, and relaxed a bit more.

"It's okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." She pulled the hug back. "He won't."

I gripped Caroline's hand hard with one of mine, the other clutching to the railing like my life depended on it.

It did.

One of the gym teachers came over. "Are you okay?"

"No." It was barely a whisper. I doubted she could hear it. It hurt me to say it, and I knew Caroline and Damon could hear the pain, feel it, too.

"Just do what you're comfortable with. You can stay on this end; I'll keep the other students – farther away." In the deep end. Like where a car could sink into the water, and your parents died.

I turned away from her, and tried to get a hold of my emotions, but hot tears fell down my face instead.

Shame. Anguish. Greif.

It still hurt.

- x -

"What class are you missing?"

Caroline was sitting with my gym class. "History. But you're more important."

"Thanks." And I meant it.

I felt a ghost of a whisper on my calf, and knew Damon was here, too.

- x -

"I have a little surprise for you."

I hadn't cried, yesterday, and that was my only goal for today. I was eying the beach ball, floating in the water ahead of us, warily.

"Hey."

Then I whipped around, and couldn't decide if I wanted to smile or cry. Bonnie. "Hi."

For twenty minutes, we stayed in the shallow end, batting the beach ball back and forth. I still had a death grip on Caroline's hand, but, by the end of the day, I was dragging her to the beach ball when Bonnie didn't send it in the right direction.

Before I left the pool, I stared at the shadows under the bleachers until Damon let me see him.

- x -

Thursday, we moved from three feet of water (still more than twice my height!) to three and a half. The extra six inches raised to my belly button quite uncomfortably, but I was okay.

My back was to the class. Caroline could keep an eye on them, and I wouldn't have to look at them. That day, I was constantly searching for Damon. I'd see him, every once in a while.

- x -

Friday, we kept to the shallower end, and I finally let go.

It was only for five minutes, but I did it. I hadn't cried since Monday, and I was proud.

- x -

Friday night, Damon took me to the river again.

He didn't hold my hand, but walked backwards, beckoning me to him.

I waded until the water reached my knees, and then stopped, shaking my head.

"Come on. One step. One step at a time."

The water was just over my knees and I was ready to cry. I held my arm out. "Please."

"Shh."

- x -

Saturday night, he sat down in the water.

He was always in black jeans; I was always in cloth shorts.

He pulled me onto his lap, and the water lapped at my feet. We went deeper, until the water covered the tops of my legs. He was in past his waist, but I was on his lap, higher. Safer.

"I haven't taken a bath in almost a year," I confided.

- x -

Sunday night, I sat down on a rock but didn't take my shoes off. Instead, I leaned my elbows on my knees and started at the water. Damon sat down next to me. I looked down, shy and embarrassed.

"Hey." I didn't want to look up, but he made me. "Hey. Are you okay?"

I shrugged. It's just water.

He took my shoes off again, and offered me his hand.

Instead of leading me down to the river, he asked, "Do you trust me?" And the truth of the matter is that, yes, I did. I trusted him more than myself.

"Yes."

He led me down to the water and let me walk as far as I could. I made it a little farther than last time, the water just hitting the middle of my thighs. "I can't." I didn't mean to make it painful, but the words hurt, even to my ears. "Please."

He took my outstretched hand. "Do you trust me?" he asked again.

"Yes."

He picked me up before I could say anything else, and walked farther and farther out, until the water reached my chest. I hid my face in his neck.

"Shh." He didn't make fun of me when he felt my tears on his skin. "I got you."

The tears didn't let up. "I'm sorry." I couldn't unlatch my fingers from behind his neck to wipe my eyes. He started to retreat. I whispered, "Don't let go."


	3. Chapter 3

Last Chapter. Thank you for sticking around! The reviews are always nice to get.

* * *

"You just did five days," Caroline said. "Think you can do five more?"

"Last Monday, I would have said no."

"And today?"

I looked at Caroline and smiled. It wasn't a big one, but it was a smile. "I can do it."

"Then let's just sit. Can you do that?"

We moved from the bleachers to the steps leading into the pool.

First we sat on the edge, and the water covered just the tops of my feet.

The first step meant I was now sitting in water. My knees stuck up, out of the water, but the rest of my legs were submerged.

"This is all I'm comfortable with."

"That's okay." I looked over at Caroline. "I think you're doing a really good job." She nodded. I caught Damon, but then he left.

"He told you."

"He did."

And he can hear us. "I'm glad he didn't tell Stefan." I smiled, even though I was still in the water. "I'm glad he told you."

- x -

Tuesday, Caroline and I worked on standing in the water a little deeper.

It hit my belly button.

She was only holding my hand.

I wasn't comfortable with more.

- x -

Wednesday, Bonnie came again.

"You're a lot better, today," Bonnie said. We were batting the beach ball back and forth again. "You're not even holding Caroline's hand."

"Yeah, well." I looked down. "The water only covers my butt. They haven't let anything happen to me."

"You can hit some more volleys?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sure."

I was right against the pool wall. I didn't run, after the ball, and I didn't go too far out of arm reach of Caroline.

Bonnie hit it over our head.

"Got it." Given a chance to get out of the water, I was going to take it. I had one foot still in the water, and one on the ledge when the ball came sailing back over our heads.

"What was _that_?"

I was frozen. "Uhm. Maybe a little help?"

"Right." Caroline came over and grabbed my hips, helping ease me back into the pool. "There."

"Thanks."

"What was that?" Bonnie asked again.

"They," I said. "Plural. They haven't let anything happen to me." She didn't look convinced. "What are you missing?"

"English. You're more important."

- x -

For the first time, I was standing next to the pool, next to _water_, just talking, _laughing_, having a good time with Caroline. We changed and got ready a little earlier than normal, and it was _nice_.

I was laughing, caught in a breath, when suddenly I was soaking, swallowing and inhaling mouthfuls of chlorine water, hair going every which way.

Just as quickly, I was on the pool deck, coughing, spluttering, choking. My back was to a strong chest, a familiar one, and then I was on all fours, retching more water than humanly possible, and most of my lunch, too.

I felt _sick_.

"What's going on?"

Then I was crying and choking and screaming, and _it wasn't fair_, but strong arms never let me go.

- x -

The stupid boy who had pushed me in didn't realize.

He didn't realize my parents died in a car crash. Off Wickery Bridge, into the water. And drowned. And that I was in the car, with them.

They wanted to suspend him, but I thought the sick _grief_ on his face, when he did understand, and the pure _guilt _rolling off of him was punishment enough.

When Caroline and I got into the gym, on Friday, Damon was sitting on the bleachers. I don't know if he had compelled his way it, and at this point I didn't care.

"Why is he still in class?"

"Because. He looks sick enough as is."

"I'm sorry."

I was terrified to be near the water again, but now confused by Damon. "Why?"

"I was still in the locker room. Otherwise, pretty boy wouldn't have gotten you in the water in the first place."

"It wasn't your fault."

And it wasn't Caroline's, either. I wasn't in the water for more than three seconds, but it had felt like three _years_.

"You didn't let go." I saw Caroline looking at me, out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored her.

"You asked me not to."

Today, I was sitting on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water. Caroline was out in front of me, and Damon was sitting cross-legged, behind me.

"Are you here? Am I seeing things?" There was a ghost of fingers over my side. "Feeling things?"

"I'm here." Caroline nodded.

There was movement behind me, and he reached, grabbed my arms, and slowly lowered me into the pool.

I grabbed whatever I could. Rough. I dared a glance at it – black denim.

"A little warning, next time?" I said, trying to laugh. Yesterday really threw me for a loop. I wasn't extra scared, today, just a normal amount of scared.

"Can you let go?"

No.

Instead, I greatly released my death hold of his pants leg.

Until, behind Caroline, I caught sight of the boy who pushed me in.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, and let go.

"Hey!" Caroline was submerged to just under her chin, but she threw her arms up in celebration. "One little victory at a time!"

I looked down. The water was calm, gently rippling out from my body, and I touched the surface. It was so different from that night. It was calm and clear; I could see the bottom of the pool, see the yellow toe nail polish I was wearing. Nervously, I took a few steps towards Caroline.

"I won't let go."

I loosened my shoulders and tried to smile.

Caroline got on her feet and waded to the side. When she turned around, she showed me a ball, and nodded to the hoop.

"I'll even go human, on you," she whispered.

Finally, my smile was real.

- x -

When Damon finally moved, Friday night, my legs involuntarily tightened around his waist.

"Little hard to breath, here, Elena." I loosened my arms from around his neck, but not my legs.

He waded. And waded.

We were always clothed. I could feel the hard muscles of his back, even through two shirts. He stopped only when the tops of his shoulders were dry. I rested my head there.

It was so peaceful. For the first time, I wasn't scared. I knew he wouldn't let go.

I fell asleep.

I woke up, wrapped in a fluffy towel, but I wasn't at home. Damon was walking through the boarding house.

"Sorry I fell asleep."

He put me down when we got to a bedroom.

No, a bathroom.

For the first time since I met him, Damon looked uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable and wet. I made myself look at his face, even though it was hard.

"I was going to draw you a bath, but." He shrugged, finally meeting my eyes. He tried to smile, but it fell flat. "Everyone's coming over for a bonfire. Jenna brought you a change of clothes." He ushered to the chair just behind me. "You can just dry off. Or shower. Or-"

"Thank you."

When I opened my eyes from a blink, Damon was gone.

I wasn't ready for a bath, just yet, so I settled for one amazing shower. I left my wet clothes on the counter and made my way out of the bedroom. I was in a hallway I'd never seen before, but I hadn't exactly explored the house, either. Then I saw a staircase. I was on the second floor. When I went down, I knew the hallway I was in, and followed it to the living room.

Outside the doors and windows it was dark, but I saw the fire pit going strong.

"Where were you?" I drew over to Bonnie and Caroline. Only Damon, Jenna, Jeremy, and Bonnie and Caroline knew.

"Two Friday's ago I, uhm. Told Damon. Why I was skipping classes. About swim class and Wickery Bridge and my parents and." I took a deep breath. "And he took me down to the river. And that's it. We just stand, in the water."

"The water must be _freezing_!"

I shrugged. "We stay as long as we can stand it. Or, as long as I can stand it. But." I shrugged again, tugging my sleeves down farther. "We did the same thing Saturday and Sunday. And last weekend, too. It's just."

I looked around. Stefan was doing a very good job talking to Jeremy and Tyler, but I just _knew _he was trying to pay attention. Damon was talking to Ric, and Jenna, but I knew he was listening, too.

"At first, I couldn't even wade to my knees. But he pulled me farther. And the water got deeper the next night, and the next night. It's just." I took a deep breath. "So… overwhelming. And I couldn't stop crying, the first weekend. That was _so _humiliating. But. I don't know. I guess I just needed to feel safe, in the water. And a vampire seemed to fit that bill."

Suddenly, Caroline's head whipped around; her glare was directed at Stefan. Her whisper was harsh. "You're just jealous that Elena asked Damon, not you."

"I just. I knew Damon wouldn't laugh. Not that you would," I added hastily, directing that towards Caroline. "He wouldn't laugh or make me feel bad. And he wouldn't have that _look _on his face." Now that he knew what was wrong, what was bothering me, I could see the faintest traces of _pity _on Stefan's face. "And. The fewer people that knew, the better." I slumped back against the chair. "But it's probably all over school, by now."

"Actually. No." I twisted to follow Caroline's line of focus, and met eyes with Damon.

"Blondie…" he warned.

"I made sure that wouldn't happen."

It took my brain a few minutes to piece that together.

_He _made sure that wouldn't happen, is what she meant to say.

As the night drew on, I dragged my chair closer to the fire, enjoying the heat, enjoying the company.

All too suddenly, someone was in my personal space.

"Here."

Damon gave me a stick pierced with a marshmallow, all served with a saucy grin. I had missed seeing that.

"Thank you."

He raised an eyebrow, very carefully. "Oh, you owe me. And I will collect."

"But, really. Thank you."

"But, really." His lips twitched. "I won't let anything happen to you." The words were sincere, but he still had that grin on his face. "Anything."

He got off the armrest. "Have another stick?"

He turned around, confusion evident on his face. "What?"

I picked my bag of marshmallows off the ground. "Want one?"

His smirked turned into a smile. It only lasted a second, and no one else saw it, but it was there. And then it was replaced with his usual smirk.

The chair was not meant for two, but he squished his way on, anyway. "Damon!"

"Elena!" He brandished another stick, and I stuck a marshmallow on the end.

I touched our marshmallows together. "Cheers."

* * *

Thank you again for reading! I'll try and see if I can come up with more 'Damon' things to write about.

Lady


End file.
